Guest Blog Post – The Not-So-Secret Life of Cats

Elvis, a sleek black cat with a scar across his nose, is the resident cat in the Second Chance Cat mysteries. He seems to have the ability to tell when someone is lying, which is very useful when Sarah Grayson and her senior sleuth friends are working on a case.

Lie-detecting isn’t a skill real cats have—at least I don’t think they do—but I’ve come across lots of fascinating facts about cats in my reading. Here are a few. To learn more about cats—domestic and wild—visit http://www.pbs.org/show/nature/

Did you know:

Cats can’t see well close up and use their whiskers to help locate prey.

2. The jaguar has the most powerful bite of any cat. His jaw can exert a maximum pressure of 700 pounds.

3. It was their hunting prowess that first brought cats and people together.

4. Antarctica is the only continent not home to domestic cats.

5. Six hundred years ago in Asia, a genetic mutation created the Siamese cat. Its distinctive color pattern occurs because only the fur on the cooler parts of its body produces pigment.

6. The rusty spotted cat is the smallest species of cat. These cats can weigh as little as two pounds. The rusty spotted cat eats locusts and other insects. Domestic cats will occasionally eat insects too.

7. Ocelots are one of the smelliest cats in the world. The inspiration for the song “Smelly Cat” perhaps?

8. Jaguars can dive for more than 30 seconds and eat underwater.

9. If a tomcat comes across the scent of a female he’ll open his mouth and “taste” the air.

And I swear I’m not picking on dogs, but…

10. Cats played an active role in the extinction of more than 40 dog species.

The New York Times bestselling author of A Whisker of Trouble returns as secondhand shop owner Sarah Grayson and her rescue cat, Elvis, get caught up in a case of she said, she said….
When Sarah Grayson opened a secondhand shop in the quaint town of North Harbor, Maine, she was expecting peace and quiet. Then she was adopted by a rescue cat named Elvis and a kooky trio of senior sleuths known as Charlotte’s Angels. Now she has nine lives worth of excitement…

Sarah’s friend and employee Rose is delivering a customer’s purchase when the quick errand becomes a deadly escapade. Rose arrives just in time to see the customer murdered by his wife, but before she can call the police, she is knocked out cold. When she wakes up, no one believes her, especially after the woman claims her husband is very much alive and has left her for someone else—and has a text message and empty bank account to prove it.

Despite her convincing story, Sarah is sure something is fishy—and it’s not Elvis’s kitty treats. Sarah, Elvis, and the Angels are determined to unravel this mysterious yarn, before the feral killer pounces again…

Hmmm so I am the Hungry Reader. The one who reads. The one who is constantly reading or wanting to read constantly. This blog is all about the books I have read, the ones that I am reading and gems that I plan to read in the future or whenever it arrives.